Back When
by ChipolteVirgin
Summary: Stella and Brandon were childhood friends. But when he moved away, they faded. But now...he's back ;
1. Chapter 1

Stella fastened a small pink ribbon back through her ponytail and pulled it tight. She waddled lightly around her new house and saw her parents directing people to places. She watched a mover attach a small lighthouse themed calender to the wall. In two months, she'd be 6. She toddled around the house and dug up the stairs into her new room. She peered lazily out the window and saw two small childish figures watching the fussel. One was a small redheaded girl and the other was a taller brown haired boy. Stella double timed down the stairs and ran to them. "Hi!" She yelled happily to have found company. The girl with red hair pushed in dimples with a wide smile, "Hiyah! I'm Bloom!" She cheered loudly. The brown haired boy smiled down to her also, "I'm Brandon." Bloom growled from the loss of attention. "He's my older brother, he's 7, I'm 6. Wanna play?" She said no questions asked. Stella simply smiled and nodded. Brandon shook his head and walked Bloom back across the street and then walked back into the house.

_*****Bloom and Stella grew up together and remained best friends through everything. When Brandon was 13, their parents got a divorce and he moved in with his dad.*****_

Bloom glared at the stars that dimmed in the sky and twisted her fingers around a loose shingle. Stella sat up and pretended to grab the moon, "I wanna go to the moon one day." She smiled and laid her back down on the roof. Bloom chuckled and clutched a star. "I wanna own a planet." She giggled. Stella's ears perked up as a truck rumbled up Bloom's driveway. "BRANDON!" Bloom yelled and slid down the roof and to the truck. Stella looked at Bloom's actions, baffled and confused. She walked to the front of the house and saw Bloom embracing Brandon. Stella's jaw dropped, right there, on Bloom's roof was the first time she was Brandon in 6 years. He wasn't the same. Apparently, the gym consumed him, for his muscles were being clutched by his sleeves and his abs pushed an imprint into the shirt. His jaw line was formed into a perfect sculption and his hair was smooth and had long brown tassles in the front. But the only things left untouched were his chocolate brown eyes and his award winning smile. Stella slid down the side of the roof and adjusted her top. She smiled polietly to Brandon whose jaw hung lightly. "Stella?" He chuckled and waltzed over to her. He side embraced her and she hugged him across his chest.

She changed too. Her pigtails grew out bright blonde to her waist and she pushed up a foot to 5'7. She lost her puppy fat but gained boobs and beauty. She looked to Bloom who was walking inside and followed her quickly.

After they ate, Bloom crowded them into the living room and pulled out 3 stacks of photo albums. Brandon pulled one open and they sifted for hours. Stella traced her finger over one of her and Brandon jumping off a dock. He watched her but didn't say anything. After 3 hours of memories, Brandon went to bed. Stella walked to Bloom's room and changed into her pjs. Her and Bloom fell asleep around 3 AM and Stella woke up around 4 to go get a drink. She saw a light come from the kitchen and switched into ninja mode. She crouched down near the island in the kitchen and twisted around it to come face-to-ass with Brandon. He was drinking out of the milk carton and she straighten her back up. She tapped his shoulder and he jerked around, scared. "Stella! Don't do that!" He laughed. Stella wasn't laughing, she was oggling. His body was more perfect when his shirt was off and his boxers were low on his hips. She snapped her gaze back up to his face and smiled.

"Sorry," She laughed a little.

He laughed a little back, "I'm just kidding," He chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "Ahhhh, it's been was to long." He said wrapping his arms tight around her. She touched his toned back and inhaled his manly smell. "Way too long." She murmered, sifting too deep in the moment. He pulled away and chuckled. "Night Stell," He smiled and walked away. She sighed and ran back into Bloom's bedroom.

* * *

Stella rolled over on her side and her eyes fluttered open. A small piece of paper was folded up and said _Stella_ on the front. She pulled it open and it said in lazily ink pen:

_Morning Stella! You wouldn't wake up! I'm getting us Doughnuts at Glazzers then stopping Sky's. ttyl!Ily!_

She smiled and shook her head. She clutched her small heart necklace and took a deep breath. She got up and walked smoothly to the kitchen and looked around. Brandon walked up behind her and gave her a half hug. "Heyyyy," He chuckled. She smiled as the butterflies ate at her stomach's remains.

"Yooo." She laughed and hugged him back. "Wanna hang today?" He said quickly.

She smiled eagerly and nodded too quickly. "I mean, that'd be awesome." She laughed lightly. "What do you wanna do?" She smiled dreamily.

"Dock Party? Me and You?" He said with a cheeky smile.

"Let's Do It!" She laughed and waltzed out the door and across the street and into her house.

She rummaged through all of her bathing suits and pulled out a tiny light blue bikini, she shook her head and stuffed it back. She kept digging through and pulled out a respectable blue and yellow cross top bikini. She yanked it on and ran back over to Bloom's house. She pushed the door open and saw Brandon stretching his arms behind his back and his stomach muscles were tensing. Stella felt the blood rush to her face and she blushed from the fact that she was blushing. "Yo!" She yelled, then blushing more from her own stupidness.

He turned around and smiled, "Yo Yo!" He laughed and pushed on her back out the door and guided her into his truck.

He looked at her and smiled, "Ready?"


	2. Chapter 2

Stella sat quietly in his truck as they hummed down the road. The wind captured her hair and sent it swirling out the window it a knarly heap. Brandon chuckled and sped up to the recreational park.

"I haven't been here in forever." He smiled and pulled in. Stella grinned, "Last time I was here, I was with you." She laughed. That was 4 years ago. He was 13 and she was 12. She remembers them jumping in holding hands becasue she was too scared that he would pretend to jump in and let her go in by herself.

She snapped out of her fantasy when his truck tires crunched up on the gravel by the dock. "Ready?" He said wildly and hopped out quickly.

She slid out to quickly and almost lost her balance and took a moment to settle. She was being too eager, needing to calm down so she didn't look like an idiot. She took a few steps then froze with awh. Brandon yanked off his shirt and smiled at her. Even though it wasn't a new sight, it was still amazing. She smiled back and pulled off her summery dress and Brandon couldn't help but look too. She wasn't too proud of her body but it would do for now. She bent over to pick up her flip flops but hesitated. _Rolls_ she thought.

She bent over and balled her dress together and covered her stomach. Brandon chuckled, and she blushed. "I'm still chunky," She agreed. "No, You're perfect." He smiled charmingly and walked towards the dock.

She felt the butterflies in her stomach pull up and tickle her lungs, making breathing difficult. Brandon stood by the dock thinking about how to get into the cold water. Stella put her things down next to him and took a step towards him, tripping on his shoe, flinging her at her and toppling them into the freezing water. When she surfaced, she saw him smiling with his hair matted to his facce. He flipped it over and laughed lightly. "I'm sooo sorry!" She yelled and swam to him.

"It's okay," He laughed again and rubbed his eyes. When he stopped he pulled her in and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I'm a mess," She mumbled. "Not at all...your..." He though, she frowned. "You're beautiful." He murmured, right before he turned his head slightly to the side and pressing his lips to hers. Stella didn't kiss back at first because she didn't understand. She then registered that the guy that she loves lips were on hers. She pressed them back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up more. "Stella," He whispered into her lips. She felt the hair on her back stand up. It was the best kiss anyone has ever planted on her. She didn't know why but she didn't ever want to forget this moment.

She felt herself sliding but he readjusted her but kept the kiss going. She held him tighter but suddenly felt weird. This was Brandon, her best friend's brother. She slowly pulled away and the smack of the suction startled him. "Stella?" He said nervously. She frowned and looked away. He took one hand from her bottom that helped her stay afloat and tucked her hair behind her ears, "I'm sorry." He started. "I'm sorry that I made our whole friendship awkward with just one thing. I'm sorry Stella, you can be my friend first, always." He said with sad eyes. She smiled softly but they it flipped to a frown, "I'm sorry." She said through a deep breath. "You're a great guy Brandon." She slipped away and walked up the side and up the ladder leading to the dock. He sighed and climbed up to and she threw him a towel, "Can you take me to your house, I forgot my stuff." She said quietly. "Yeah," He said softly and walked to his truck. She slid in, buckled her seatbelt and glued her eyes out the window.

They rode in silence and Brandon felt the awkwardness. He turned up the radio and heard a soft Taylor Swift song and kept it.

_She said, I was seven and you were nine_  
_I looked at you like the stars that shined_  
_In the sky, the pretty lights_  
_And our daddies used to joke about the two of us_  
_Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled_  
_And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my_  
_Took me back to the house in the backyard tree_  
_Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me_  
_You never did, you never did_  
_Took me back when our world was one block wide_  
_I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried_  
_Just two kids, you and I..._  
_Oh my my my my_  
_I was sixteen when suddenly_  
_I wasn't that little girl you used to see_  
_But your eyes still shined like pretty lights-_

Brandon quickly changed the station once here recognized the song was too true.

He surfed for minutes and then finally concluded that nothing was suitable. He pulled up to his drive way and Stella quickly slid out and walked through the front door. Brandon walked in and she was gathering her things and quickly if that. Her phone rang and she answered nervously, hoping it wasn't Bloom. "Hello?...Hey Mom...Where?...Well I'm at Bloom's, how will I get in if you took my car?...I'm not gonna stay here all day...whatever." Stella said then hung up, "My mom took my car which had my house keys so I can't go home." She said calmly.

"Okay," Brandon nodded and walked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. Stella walked up next to him and mocked him. "Stella," He started. "Yeah." She said. "Why don't you like me like you did when you were younger?" He said casually. Her face was burning red. "I do." She said nervously. "Then why won't you kiss me?" He said turning to her. She watched his lips move as he talked and didn't want anything as much as another kiss. "I..I Just...I don't know." She said, he chucked. "Oh Stell." He laughed.

She leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his and she felt his smile. "Thank You," He murmured.


End file.
